Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is a 1847 novel by Charlotte Brontë, often considered to be her most famous work. It was successful upon being published and is even considered to be one of the first Victorian novels to feature a strong-willed, independent heroine. The novel focuses on the titular character as she comes of age, finds her way into the social class, and finds love and happiness with her brooding master. The novel also features elements of social class criticism, Gothic elements, feminism and religion. Jane Eyre has since become a classic among the Brontë sisters. Plot summary Jane Eyre is a ten-year-old orphan being raised by her abusive, wealthy aunt Mrs. Reed at Gateshead Hall in Northern England. She was mistreated by her aunt and cousins since she was poor, dependent, and is an outsider in the household. One day, after Jane gets into a fight with her cousin John, Mrs. Reed punishes her by having her locked up in the red-room, where her uncle Mr. Reed had died in years earlier. Jane becomes terrified, believing she can see his ghost. She panicks until she faints. Once she recovers, she is sent off to the Lowood Institution by Mrs. Reed, run by the greedy, hypocritical Mr. Brocklehurst. The school had terrible living conditions and harsh discipline, and Brocklehurst uses the school's funds to improve his family's rich lifestyle than for the students and the building. While at Lowood, Jane befriends a girl named Helen Burns, who teaches her about personal prejudice and Christian belief. After a consumption outbreak occurs at the school, Helen dies and arrangements are made at Lowood, improving the building and its conditions. Jane stays at the school for 8 more years. Once she is an adult, she accepts a job application as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where her student is a young French-speaking girl named Adèle Varens. While at Thornfield, Jane is constantly bothered where she hears strange laughter and soon meets her employer, a sardonic, brooding man named Mr. Rochester who is the owner of Thornfield. She begins to fall in love with him, after she saved him from a fire in his room one night. But Jane feels despondent when Rochester begins to have affections for a richer woman, but he turns her away and proposes marriage to Jane instead, which she accepts. But on the day of the wedding, the ceremony is interrupted by a lawyer, declaring that Rochester is already married. They go upstairs to the attic of Thornfield and find Rochester's insane, unstable wife named Bertha Mason, who had been responsible for the laughter and setting Rochester's room on fire. Jane becomes distraught and flees Thornfield. She wanders alone aimelessly, until she is taken in by two sisters Mary and Diana Rivers and their brother, St. John. She becomes friends with the Rivers and St. John offers her a teaching position. Some time later, Jane discovers that the Rivers are her cousins, and an uncle of theirs has just died and left her a large inheritance. St. John plans to travel to India and convinces Jane to come with him as his wife. She refuses his proposal and was close to reconsidering when she hears Rochester's voice calling out to her. She goes back to Thornfield. When she arrives there, she finds Thornfield Hall destroyed in a fire, and learns that Bertha Mason had set the building up in flames before killing herself. Mr. Rochester tried to save her, but he becomes blind, loses a hand, and is now residing at nearby Ferndean Manor. Jane goes there and finds Rochester, and after being reunited, the two of them marry. Jane and Rochester had a son together, and were married for 10 years, while St. John goes on his missionary trip alone with failing health. Characters [[Jane Eyre (character)|'Jane Eyre']]- The main protagonist. Orphaned, poor and plain as a child, Jane manages to cope with her early struggles with her independence and bravery and becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she begins to fall in love with her sardonic employer Mr. Rochester. Her strong-willed traits and actions are challenging against the stereotypes of women and the poor in Victorian England. [[Mr. Rochester|'Mr. Rochester']]- The owner of Thornfield Hall and Jane's love interest. He is a gruff, brooding man, though he is also sympathetic and passionate, mainly because of his troubled past and a secret he had been keeping for years. He also falls in love with Jane, despite him being 20 years her senior and even manages to propose marriage to her; even though he was already married to an insane wife kept in the attic. [[St. John Rivers|'St. John Rivers']]- A minister and Jane's cousin. He takes her into his home and even offers her a teaching position nearby. He is a deeply religious man who is wanting to be a missionary rather than living a normal life in Northern England. He is wanting to marry Jane, but he doesn't want her for love but simply as a travelling companion. He is seen as the complete opposite of Rochester; being completely cold and reserved. [[Helen Burns|'Helen Burns']]- A student at Lowood School who Jane befriends. She is a kind and religious girl, who often teaches Jane the morals of Christianity and passion. She, too, is an orphan and both she and Jane become close. She calmly accepts all of the school punishments given to her by the staff endures the impoverished life at Lowood. She dies of consumption in Jane's arms. Mrs. Reed- Jane's aunt. She is a cruel and abusive woman who expresses her hatred to young Jane Eyre by treating her as an outcast in her household, even though her dying husband made her keep his promise to raise Jane alongside her children. In death, Mrs. Reed resents reconciling with her niece and unloved by her children. Mrs. Fairfax- the housekeeper at Thornfield Hall. She is welcoming and kind to Jane as she arrives at Thornfield and is like a mother-figure to her, since she was sympathetic of the governess' miserable past. She also was the first to tell Jane the mysterious and strange laughter heard across the house. Bessie Lee- A nursemaid who looked after Jane as a child at Gateshead. She is caring and helpful to Jane, though she would sometimes scold her for some of the naughty actions Jane did. She visited her while she was leaving Lowood and eventually marries the Gateshead coachman. Mr. Lloyd- A kind apothecary who treats Jane follows her traumatic experience in the Red Room. He was the one who suggested Jane should go to school and writes a letter to Miss Temple to clear Jane from Mrs. Reed's charge of her being a liar. John Reed- Mrs. Reed's son and one of Jane's cousins. He is cruel and abusive to Jane while she lived at Gateshead and often bullies her. Later in adulthood, he falls into drinking and gambling and eventually commits suicide after his mother stops paying his debts. Eliza Reed- One of Mrs. Reed's daughters and another of Jane's cousins. She torments Jane during her childhood at Gateshead, but begins to warm up with her later in life. She devotes herself into Christianity and becomes a nun at a convent in France. Georgiana Reed- One of Mrs. Reed's daughters and another of Jane's cousins. She also torments Jane during her childhood at Gateshead, but begins to warm up with her, too, later on. She later marries a wealthy man and becomes a socialite. Mr. Brocklehust- The greedy and hypocrite clergyman who runs Lowood School where Jane attended as a student. He preaches Christian morals in his sermons and steals the school's funds to create a lavish lifestyle for his family. Upon the typhus outbreak and his cruel deeds come out of light, Brocklehurst was dismissed from his duties at Lowood. Maria Temple- The headmistress and teacher at Lowood School. She is a kind, generous woman who is a mother-figure, mentor and a female role model to Jane. She also shows compassion and respect to her and Helen and both girls have a close connection to her. Miss Scatcherd- One of the teachers at Lowood School. She is usually unkind to her students, and is mostly abusive and harsh towards Helen Burns. Bertha Mason- Mr. Rochester's insane, demented wife. She was a pretty young Creole woman who Rochester had married to provide wealth to both of their families. Her madness soon spirals out of control and she is confined in the attic on the third floor of Thornfield Hall, where her presence is kept a secret, especially from Jane. She causes mischief around the house before burning it down and jumping to her death. Grace Poole- A servant at Thornfield who is responsible to be Bertha Mason's keeper. Her constant carelessness and passing out from drinking allows Bertha to escape from the attic and wreck havoc, such as setting fires and ripping Jane's wedding veil. Adèle Varens- Mr. Rochester's young ward and Jane's student. She is a lively, French-speaking girl from France, the illegitimate daughter of a French singer. After her mother abandoned her, Rochester took her in as his ward, though he is likely not her father. Her presence is part of a key moment in Rochester's past and who had allowed him to change his morals of his original lifestyle. Celine Varens- A French opera singer and mother of Adèle Varens. Despite not making an appearance in the novel, she was once a mistress to Mr. Rochester, but was only interested in his money and claimed that Rochester is Adèle's father. After she abandoned her daughter, Rochester took the girl in. Sophie- Adèle's French nursemaid who looks after her while she was at Thornfield. Writing History/Reception Themes Symbols Foreshadowing External Links Category:British Literature Category:19th-century novels Category:Gothic literature Category:Victorian novels Category:Coming-of-age novels Category:Romance novels Category:Novels Category:Novels written by a woman